5 Best Kayak Fishing PFDs [Reviews and Buyer’s Guide]

Outfitting your kayak for fishing can be a challenging mission with so many items to choose from to suit your individual requirements. An important piece of safety gear is the PFD or the Portable Flotation Device.

Life jackets or PFDs can save your life if you capsize or find yourself in high current rivers where it is difficult to swim or keep your head above water.

Selecting a PFD that suits kayaking is a different challenge and to give it features for fishing is even more selective.

We have put together a list of the top 5 Kayak Fishing PFDs available on the market for this month as well as highlighting the features, pros, and cons of the best 5 that we have reviewed. At the start of this article we have also written a brief buyer's guide to help explain some of the key differences and features you should be looking for.

Kayak Fishing PFD Buyer's Guide

There are variety of life jackets available for kayaks but not so many that are suitable for fishing as well. The main feature that allows a PFD to be used while fishing is the additional storage.

Kayaks never has as much storage as you need. They also have dry hatches that you shouldn't open too often while on the water. This means that if there are so tackle or tools that you want to access frequently while fishing you need to find an alternate location for it - your life jacket is a good option.

Just make sure you don't load it up so much that you are carrying extra weight or sharp items - this is primarily a safety device after all.

Buoyancy

Life vests are given a buoyancy rating of how much weight they can keep afloat - this is generally between 14-16 pounds of lift.

Remember, the human body is already buoyant - so the rest doesn't have to add too much extra lift to maintain your head and chest out of the water.

If you are particularly muscular or have problems staying afloat then I would certainly recommend looking for one of the more buoyant options.

Maneuverability

The main difference between a kayak PFD and a boat PFD is that lack of sides on the kayak life vest. This gives the kayak-er extra movement through their shoulders to paddle. It also allows the kayak-er more maneuverability to swim if they capsize their kayak.

Kayak PFDs are also much slimmer than a bulky, square boat life vest.

Value for Money

Some kayak fishing PFDs can be well over $100, so you want to make sure you are getting good value for money. The easiest way to do this is to make sure it is extremely durable and well constructed. The best way to get more out of your money is to make sure it lasts for many years to come.

Make careful note of negative reviews mentioning poor stitching or zipper problems - as this poor construction quality is a good way to kill your vest and reduce its effective life.

The Fit

Making sure your personal flotation device fits well is key to ensuring it functions well. It should not be too tight or too loose, and should be adjustable on both the shoulder straps and the waist band.

Have a look at the following video on How to Properly Fit your Kayak Fishing PFD by KayakFishingTales.

Features

Upper back is a breathable mesh design

EVA pockets act as fold-down work surfaces

Padded shoulders and waistband

Cross-chest cinch harness

Review

If there is one thing I love about the Stoklquist Fishermen Life Jacket, it is the top fold-down work pockets. If you want somewhere safe to play your lure while you are tying a knot, this is absolutely perfect.

The mesh on the back also provides a cooling breeze which is particularly comfortable in hot, humid, summer conditions.

The cross-chest harness gives a good fit and stops the vest from riding up.

The only negative is that there aren't any other pockets for storing essential tools or tackle, so keep that in mind when making your decision. It is also more expensive than some of the other options.

Features

Review

This Stoklquist PFD is more heavy duty than some of the other options. It is made from a rip proof material and comes in camouflage green that might blend in well to a rain-forest river bank.

The downside of this heavy duty model is that it can be a bit bulkier than the other options.

It also has plenty of pockets for storing all of your tackle and essentials. This is key in any fishing jacket as it means you don't have to open up any waterproof bags or hatches every time you need a pair of pliers.

The material also dries quickly, so you can stay warm even after a capsize or a swim.

Features

Cross-chest adjustable strap of zero ride-up

Adjustable shoulder webbing

Buoyancy of 16 lbs 4 oz

Reflective accents on the front and back

Review

This Stoklquist PFD is design specifically for women - it has different sizing and fits than the standard kayak life jackets. Pay close attention to the sizing guide to make sure you get something that fits comfortably.

With 16 lbs and 4 ounces of life, this offers plenty of safety through buoyancy.

It comes with adjustable shoulder webbing and chest harness to avoid riding up and get a better fit.

For additional safety it allows comes with reflective tape on the front and back to help remain visible even at night.

Pros

Vest built for women

Great fit

Back open so comfortable when paddling

Zip pockets

16.5 lb buoyancy

Cons

None - this is a great design

Conclusions

That brings us to the end of this article. I hope it has given you some insights into what features you should be looking for and some of the best options available in the market at the moment.

Please let us know which kayak fishing PFD you have chosen and why in the comments below. Learning more about how our readers make decisions allows us to improve your writing and research. It also gives plenty of wisdom to other anglers looking for high quality gear.

Happy fishing!

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Russ Egan

Russ is an avid angler. He has fished all over the world, primarily for Saltwater game fish but also for local prize fish. Russ writes reviews for all of his fishing gear to help others achieve their own fishing goals.
His dream is to catch a Black Marlin.

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